9 Best Sights in Narragansett, South County

Kids love the two kinds of bumper boats, nautical-theme miniature golf course, batting cages, carousel, go-kart track, and other carnival-like attractions, which all add up to great fun.

If you're headed to Block Island, the Interstate Navigation Company offers two types of ferry service from Point Judith. Year-round, there's regular service, which takes 55 minutes and costs about $26 round-trip; late May–mid-October, there's high-speed service, which takes 30 minutes and costs $36 round-trip. Cars—which require an advance reservation—and bikes are only allowed on the regular service. A Block Island Ferry Bloody Mary is a favorite beverage for some riders, but it's not recommended for the easily seasick.

This beloved and lively beach is perfect for surfing, sunbathing, people-watching, sandcastle making, crab hunting, and strolling its half-mile length; it also has seven ADA surf chairs, offered on a first-come, first-served basis. A sea wall (with free on-street parking) stretches along Ocean Road and attracts an eclectic crowd, including guitarists and motorcyclists. Covering approximately 19 acres, Narragansett Town Beach has a beautiful sandy beachfront, but it is the only beach in the state that you can't walk onto for free: the town charges (rather hefty) fees for admission (ages 12 and up) and parking. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; nostalgic views.

From the Port of Galilee, it's a short drive to this 1857 lighthouse and a beautiful ocean view. Because the lighthouse is an active Coast Guard Station, only the grounds are open to the public. At times when the grounds are closed, head back out Ocean Road and watch for a tiny white sign on the left for the Fisherman's Memorial. A dirt road drive leads to this elevated park, from which you'll have a spectacular view of the 65-foot lighthouse, as well as to Camp Cronin, a secret beach and fishing area.

This little corner of Narragansett is a working fishing village, where you can eat lobster on a deck overlooking the wharf, go for a swim at one of two state beaches, or watch fishermen unload their catch and sometimes even buy from them right on the docks. This is also the location of the mainland terminal for the ferry service to Block Island.

This breakwater-sheltered beach—which some locals still call Sand Hill Cove, even though the name changed decades ago—has calm, warm water and fine white sand that slopes gently into the water. It's a perennial favorite for parents with young children, thanks in part to the playground situated right in the sand. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; playground; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: classic vibe; family time; swimming; walking.

Formerly known as Galilee State Beach, Salty Brine was renamed in 1990 for a Rhode Island radio legend. It's a small but popular destination, especially for foodies. Located near the state's largest commercial fishing port of Galilee, Salty Brine is permeated with the sights, sounds, and scents of Rhode Island's daily fishing culture. The 100-yard-long beach, near bustling seafood restaurants, provides the best seat in the state for viewing the steady parade of ferries, fishing boats, and charters moving in and out of the channel while noshing on a lobster roll or fried clams. People flock here for the annual Blessing of the Fleet parade of vessels on the last weekend in July. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: saltwater fishing; sunset; swimming; walking.

With generally moderate surf, this 42-acre beach has stunning views of where the Narragansett Bay empties into the ocean—although the scent of the neighboring wastewater treatment plant can mar the experience. There's a concrete boardwalk with gazebos and an observation tower. A grassy section on the southern end of the beach is good for kite flying and picnicking, and a trail connects it to Black Point, a scenic fishing and hiking area along the rocky coastline. RIPTA buses service the beach, making it the easiest to access by transit. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

On part of Rhode Island's Civil War-era governor William Sprague's 19th-century estate, now a town park, this museum founded in 1933 holds 25,000 artifacts dating from pre-European settlement to the mid-20th century. Six exhibit buildings include a print shop, a blacksmith forge, a carpentry shop, and a carriage barn. A living-history farm has Romney sheep, Nubian goats, and a heritage flock of Rhode Island Red chickens, the state bird. Attending the annual chick-hatching is an Independence Day tradition for local families.